Centre promotes sustainability through research, education, and community action.
Established in 2022, the Centre for Sustainability at Ramaiah Institute of Management strives to foster a collaborative environment for advancing research, sharing insights, developing educational materials, and promoting community engagement. By focusing on select Sustainable Development Goals, the Centre utilizes both in-house and external expertise to facilitate data-driven decision-making among stakeholders.
To become a premier academic institution in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Sustainability Research, driving inclusivity and transformative societal change. The Centre aspires to realize this vision through capacity building, innovative solutions, and meaningful industry collaborations, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Centre supports the development and execution of significant research initiatives aimed at addressing critical environmental and social issues. Through collaboration with diverse organizations and research entities, the Centre seeks to position itself as a thought leader in sustainability, fostering positive societal change.
Singh, S., Jha, J., Indira, A., & Dr. A V Arunkumar, . (Eds.). (2024). Institutions and public policy for India’s sustainable development: Perspectives on governance, technology, and finance. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003536161
About the book: Sustainable development has emerged as an overarching concern globally. Given the challenges of climate change, national economies, especially in the developing world, face unsustainable levels and patterns of growth and development. This volume looks at how India’s sustainable development has progressed through institutional changes and public policy discourse. It studies the three pillars of sustainability – technology, governance, and finance. Prof. (Dr.) A V Arun Kumar , Dean, RIM and all co-authors examine whether institutions have been able to work towards becoming inclusive and participatory and whether public policy can remain relevant and agile in a fast-changing world to ensure sustainable development.
Government of Karnataka (GoK) launched the Brand Bengaluru campaign, wherein 7 themes were identified and data was collected by the BBMP. RIM was one of the academic partners for the Agile and Sustainable Mobility theme, responsible for analyzing the data, organizing stakeholder meetings, and submitting the report with policy recommendations for better inclusive governance. Dr. Meghna Verma, faculty RIM, was felicitated by Mr. D K Shivkumar, Hon’ble Deputy CM Karnataka, at the Brand Bengaluru Conclave, held on October 9, 2023, Central College Campus, Bengaluru, in recognition of her contribution as an Academic Partner for ‘Agile and Sustainable Mobility’ along with IISc.
Gender Inclusive Transport Policy, DULT 2021-2023 Funded Research Project: RIM is the recipient of a research grant of nearly Rs 11 lakhs, approx. for the project titled “Institutionalizing Gender SMART and Gender Astute Mobility”. The project was submitted to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Government of Karnataka (GoK), for the ASPIRE program 2020-21 jointly with IISc., Bangalore. Project Dissemination workshop was organised by the Principal Investigator, Dr. Meghna Verma, on 11th Sept’2023 at the RIM campus. The dissemination workshop was graced by Ms. Deepa M., Commissioner, DULT, and Ms.Kalpana Kataria, Executive Director, BMRCL, as well as various stakeholders working in the area of mobility.
The Centre endeavors to impart knowledge that fosters the development of responsible and inclusive leaders in society through well-rounded syllabi, workshops, training programs, and certification courses.
Centre for Sustainability, RIM has organized a Roundtable Session on “Is S the Blindspot in ESG” with experts Ms. Chitra Byregowda, Head, ESG at Persistent Systems, and Mr. Abhishek R., Sr. Director and Global Head, ESG at Brillio - October 29, 2024. ASSOCHAM and WriteCanvas were event partners. Industry practitioners, and researchers in the area of ESG actively participated in this round table discussion.
Centre for Sustainability, RIM has organized a Roundtable Session on “Climate Compatible Growth in the Global South” with expert Prof. Aruna Sivakumar, Imperial College London, on September 23, 2024. This round table was attended by startup founders of EVs, Brigade Group, Mobility Experts, and Researchers from academic institutions.
Center for Sustainability, RIM in association with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), GoK, India, organized a half-day Technical Seminar on “Smart and Shared: Exploring the possibilities for an Inclusive Future” on 27th May 2022. Dr. Tanu Priya Uteng, senior researcher at the Institute of Transport Economics (TOI), Oslo, Norway, was the key speaker, along with Dr. Meghna Verma, RIM. The technical seminar was graced by the presence of Ms. Monica Kashkari, Special Officer, DULT GoK.
The participants of the seminar were the officials of DULT, members of Sustainable Mobility Accords (SuMA), community partners from WOW (Women of Wisdom) and Rotary club, representatives from WRI India, and Faculty members of RIM. Ms. Madhura Kulkarni, WRI, spoke on “Women and children oriented approach in public spaces and mobility,” and SuMA partners talked about the initiatives taken in their respective neighborhoods.
The Centre strives to forge strong partnerships with businesses and industries to implement sustainable solutions, enhance industry impact, and support corporate sustainability initiatives with actionable insights.
1.Tattva ESG Solutions – 2-year MOU 26th November 2024 onwards.
➣ Primary objective – Development of a foundational online self-paced course “ Sustainability for All,” targeted to industry.
2.Urbanmorph Consultants – 2-year MOU 14th March 2025 onwards.
➣ Primary objective – Digital Marketing engagement and strategic plan for Pedaluru Campaign to promote active mobility across Bangalore city, with the specific focus on engaging with the student community.
3.Urban Works Institute- 6 months, 30th Jan 2023 to 31st July 2023. RIM and UWI collaborated to bring together various stakeholders, including government, non-government, private sector, and academia, to deliberate and develop the outlines of a Karnataka State Bus Mission.
➣ Organised Bus4Us fest, on 30 January 2023, a mega event, at RIM campus, widely covered in media.
Centre for Sustainability, RIM, organised the Susthira Abhivruddhiya Pathadalli – Sustainability Summit 2024 in partnership with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), Sattva Consulting, and Tattva ESG Solutions, on 26th November 2024.
Key Highlights:
➣ Navigating the Net Zero Journey – Carbon Credits and Pathways to Decarbonisation
➣ Circular Economy 2.0 – Innovations Driving Sustainable Value Chains
➣ From Reporting to Real Change – Supply Chains and ESG Beyond Regulators
➣ Pathways to Green Mobility – The Future of Sustainable Transportation in India
The Centre advocates for sustainability and inclusivity awareness and education through community programs, awareness campaigns and collaborative projects, thereby creating a lasting impact on the broader community.
Road Safety Special Session :
We had the honour of hosting a special session on “Road Safety and Youngsters” on 20th November 2024. Mrs. Siri Gowri D R, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic North Division, Bengaluru, addressed the gathering and shared valuable insights on promoting traffic awareness and responsible behaviour among youth. We also had a very engaging session by Dr. Anil Kumar P. Grampurohit, Police Inspector, Bengaluru City, who brought in practical perspectives from field experience. Both sessions shed light on critical issues such as:
The event was presided over by Dr. Parswanath H V, Chief Executive (E & GS), GEF. Prof. (Dr.) A.V. Arun Kumar , Dean (Academics), underlined the significance of road safety and urged the entire RIM community to stay vigilant and make safety an integral part of their daily lives.
Road Safety Walkathon:
On Friday, February 10, 2023, the Centre for Sustainability at Ramaiah Institute of Management, in collaboration with M.S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, organized a Walkathon aimed to raise awareness about the importance of road safety and promote adherence to traffic rules, during the Road Safety Month. Guided by Dr. Meghna Verma, the event saw the participation of 50 volunteers from both institutions, including students and faculty members. Students from Ramaiah Degree College were accompanied by Dr. Surendra A.S.
Faculty and students of Ramaiah Institute of Management proudly participated in Pedaluru 2025, organised by Pedaluru, Bengaluru’s citizen-led cycling movement, in collaboration with the Fit India Movement under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. As part of this year’s event, held on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 6:00 AM, cyclists took part in the ‘Tiranga Rally’ to express their heartfelt gratitude towards our Armed Forces.
RIM was the academic partner in these events, organized by BBMP and WRI. Faculty and students participated in both events and presented their research work on sustainable and inclusive mobility.
Dr. Meghna Verma, RIM faculty member did Fireside Chat with Sri M N Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Traffic, Bengaluru, on 1st March 2024 on the invitation of Corporates in Real Estate, as a part of CIRE Conclave for the launch of Green Ride Bengaluru. Students and faculty members attended this conclave.
During the peak summer months of April to June 2024, as Bengaluru faced an acute water shortage, members of the Sahayan Club, Centre for Sustainability, RIM launched the “Save Water, Save Bengaluru” campaign. As part of this initiative, students visited PG accommodations, restaurants, and hotels to promote simple and practical water-saving practices. Posters and awareness messages were displayed to emphasize the importance of responsible water usage.
In collaboration with the India Plog Run team, Sahayan Club, Centre for Sustainability, RIM organised a 5 km Plog Run on 2nd October, 2019. The campaign was initiated by the United Way of India and Go Native to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Plastic Awareness campaign, and was also supported by the Swachh Bharat Mission.
